Hose coupling breaker wrench



July 9, 1957 Filed Nov. 10, 1955 INVENTOR. B\RCH\E L.Cug=.m

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nited States Patent ()fiice 2,798,393 Patented July 9, 1957 HOSE COUPLING BREAKER WRENCH Birchie L. Currin, Greenville, Tex. Application November 10, 1955, Serial No. 546,114 1 Claim. (Cl. 81-90) This invention relates to a device for breaking or separating the coupling between adjacent hose sections. More particularly, the invention has reference to a device adapted particularly for use by firemen, for the purpose of uncoupling connected sections of hose.

Ordinarily, two men are needed for breaking a hose coupling, both equipped with wrenches, with one of the men holding the coupling and the other rotating the adjacent portion of the hose connection relative to the held part. The main object of the present invention is to'perrnit the coupling to be broken by a single man, with as much speed as is presently required when the conventional method is followed. In this way, considerable time can be saved, as well [as the services of one of the men, and this is of course of considerable importance, particularly in view of the fact that fire hose is made in sections, each of which is generally about fifty feet in length, with a substantial number of the sections being connected by couplings in communicating relationship, all of which couplings must be separated or broken when the sections are being disconnected or, for that matter being connected to each other.

Another object of importance is to provide a tool of the type stated which will be composed of a stationary framework, adapted to be attached to the fire truck or other vehicle, in a position in which it will not occupy any more than a minimum amount of space, will not interfere with regular operations, andwill be conveniently disposed for effecting coupling breaks.

Other objects will appear from the following description, the claim appended thereto, and from the annexed drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a tool formed according to the present invention, mounted upon a fire truck;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the tool, a pair of connected hose sections being shown in dotted outline; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view of the tool taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2. 1

Referring to the drawings in detail, generally designated at is a conventional fire truck, while at 12 there has been designated the tool constituting the present invention. The tool 12 includes a base plate 14 of rectangular configuration, having spaced openings receiving bolts 16 by which the base plate is connected to the platform of the truck.

Secured fixedly at their lower ends to the opposite sides of the base plate are upstanding, identically formed side frames, each formed from a single piece of rigid rod material. The side frames have been designated at 18, each frame including vertical legs at opposite ends thereof, and a seat 20 of U-shiape integral at its upper end with the upper end of the legs.

Fixedly connected between the seats of the frames are end cross bars 22 and a middle cross bar 24. The end cross bars 22 are disposed in a common horizontal plane, being connected between the generally vertical side portions of the seat, while the middle crossbars are angularly spaced degrees from each of the end crossbars as shown in Figure 3, being connected between the midlength points of the bight portions of the coupling seats.

The provision of the cross bars defines openings between the crossbars, for a purpose to be made presently apparent.

Designated generally at 26, 27 are connected hose sections, said sections being equipped with cooperating couplings including a coupling 28 and a coupling 29. The coupling 28 is a male coupling, and is supported in the seats of the frames 18. Coupling 28 is equipped with the usual diametrically opposed, radially projecting lugs 30, and as will be noted, one of said lugs extends through one of the spaces between the cross bars 22, 24 to hold the male coupling against rotation within the fname, during separation of the couplings. The other coupling includes radial lugs 32 also diametrically opposed, which can be grasped by a suitable tool for the purpose of rotating the coupling 27 to disconnect the same from the coupling 28.

It will be seen that the construction is such as to cause the hose coupling to be held secure while being disconnected, with no more than the services of a single fireman being required. This provides a considerable saving of time, and also frees a man for other duties, this being particularly important in view of the great number of couplings which must be connected and disconnected on each occasion of a fire.

Of course, various couplings may differ. In every instance, however, radial, outwardly extending projections are provided on the couplings, which are adapted to be engaged by selected cross bars when the coupling is supported in the seats of side frames.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles of operation and the means presently devised to carry out said principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A hose coupling connecting and disconnecting tool comprising a pair of identical, laterally spaced, transversely aligned side frames formed of rigid bar stock, each frame including support legs at its opposite ends, and including intermediate its ends i311 upwardly opening, U-shaped seat formed with a bight part curved through degrees and with straight side portions extending vertically upwardly from the ends of the bight part; and rigidly constituted, straight, parallel cross bars extending between and fixedly connected at their ends to the seats of the frames, s'aid cross bars defining abutments adapted to engage a hose coupling supported in the seats against free rotation within the seats, whereby to permit rotation of a second hose coupling relative to the first coupling, the cross blars including a pair of end cross bars disposed in a common horizontal plane and connected between the respective seats at the opposite extremities of the respective bight parts, and a middle cross bar connected between the bight parts of the seats and angularly spaced 90 degrees from each end cross bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 579,748 Haley Mar. 30, 1897 2,389,248 Dye Nov. 20, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 14,652 Great Britain June 22, 1909 

